


Reconciliations

by wefellasangels



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 12:35:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3729157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wefellasangels/pseuds/wefellasangels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kevin requests a meeting with Gadreel - the angel who killed him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reconciliations

The knocking persists as Sam makes his way up the stairs. 

“Okay, okay, hold on!”

He opens the front door of the bunker and his eyes widen.

“Ms. Tran?” 

The woman smiles. “Hello, Sam.”

Sam returns the smile and shakes his head slightly. “What are you doing here – uh, please come in.” Sam steps to the side and holds the door open as Linda Tran walks inside. He closes the door behind her and they make their way downstairs. Ms. Tran takes a seat at one of the tables in the War Room, Sam sitting in the chair next to her.  
Linda looks around, eyes searching. “Where’s your brother?”

“Uh, he…he went out for a bit,” Sam lies. “So, uh, what brings you here?” 

She nods her head knowingly, tacitly agreeing not to bring up Dean again. “Well, it’s not just me. I was asked to come here.”

“What do you mean? By who?”

Less than two feet to Sam’s right an image flashes, vanishing, reappearing, and vanishing once more before it stabilizes. 

Sam stands up, smiling. “Kevin?”

“Hey, Sam!”

“How are you? I mean, well – uh…considering?”

Kevin smiles and laughs a little. “Don’t strain yourself, Sam. The whole ghost thing – not a sensitive topic. I’m fine.”

Sam nods and crosses his arms, looking back and forth between the Trans. “So, you had your mom drive you all the way here…I’m guessing this isn’t just a casual visit?”  
“No, sorry, Sam. I actually need your help with something.”

“Yeah, of course, anything.”

Kevin waits a beat before responding, and Sam can see a slight glint in his eyes. 

“I need to talk to him,” Kevin says.

Sam raises his eyebrows. “Who?”

“His killer,” Linda finishes. “He wants to confront his killer and ask him why –“ her voice breaks a little “ – ask him why he did it.”

“I mean, you know who did it, right Sam?” Kevin inquires. “You figured out who was possessing you?”

Worry lines form in Sam’s face as he nods his head and answers quietly. “Yeah, we know who did it. His name’s Gadreel –“

“Gadreel?” Kevin repeats, restrained anger in his voice.

“Yeah – but Kevin, with Metatron involved, things are more complicated than you thi-“

“Sam, this…Gadreel killed my son,” Ms. Tran says spitefully as she stands from her seat. “As far as I’m concerned there is nothing ‘complicated’ about that. Can you contact him or not?”

The anger, pain, and regret in Linda’s eyes is all too familiar – so is the growing need for resolution in Kevin’s. And Sam couldn’t say no. Not after they’d both given so much; not after they’d lost so much. 

“I’ll see what I can do.”

…

“Did you do the spell right?” 

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

Sam gives Ms. Tran a small smile. “Yeah, I’m sure.” 

Sam sighs and kneels down, looking over the sigil and materials used for the angel summoning spell. All the materials were there, the sigil was correct, and he had pronounced everything flawlessly. For whatever reason, Gadreel wasn’t making an appearance. 

“Is there any other way we can summon him?” Kevin asks, irritated. 

“Not that I know of.” Sam stands back up warily, making sure his head doesn’t hit the dungeon’s ceiling. 

“Well…maybe we can call Cas.”

“You think he could help us?” Kevin asks.

“Maybe. He was helping Gadreel-“

“Castiel was working with him?”

Crap, Sam thinks as he sees the look of betrayal on Kevin’s face. “It’s not what you think, Kevin. Things got complicated and –“ 

“Hello, Sam.” Castiel appears in the dungeon, looking tired and worn. 

“Cas! Did you know we were going to call or…?”

“No. I actually need to speak with you about Dean…but it seems you have company. Hello, Kevin. Ms. Tran.”

“Cas,” Kevin greets curtly. Linda remains silent. 

Sam clears his throat. “Well, uh, we actually need your help, Cas.”

“You need to summon an angel,” Castiel states, looking at the materials on the ground. “Who do you wish to speak to?”  
“Gadreel.”

Castiel looks up at Sam, his voice heavy. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

“Why not?” both Linda and her son demand simultaneously.

“Gadreel’s dead.”

“What?” Sam responds, shocked. “How?” 

Castiel turns away and begins pacing, stopping only when he’s facing the chair in the Devil’s trap. “While we were attempting to infiltrate Metatron’s office, we were captured and held in Heaven’s prison. Gadreel…sacrificed himself in order to free me and give the rest of us a chance to stop Metatron.”

“He killed himself?” Ms. Tran asks, as if making sure she heard correctly. “The one who killed my son? He’s dead?”

“Yes,” Castiel replies before turning to face the three of them again. “Gadreel wasn’t a killer, he was just misguided and…he placed his trust in the wrong person. If Metatron hadn’t coerced him into killing you, Kevin, he wouldn’t have done it. Even so,” Castiel finishes sympathetically, looking between both mother and son, “I am very sorry – to both of you.”

Sam shifts from one foot to the other while Linda turns to look at the wall absently. 

Kevin’s image flashes for a second and then steadies. “So that’s it? We drove all the way here and now we can’t talk to him?” He shakes his head. “Of course...”

Castiel meets Sam’s eye for a moment. “Perhaps there is another way we could…summon Gadreel. But I’ll need to pick up some items first.”

“Where-“

Castiel disappears before Sam can finishing asking. He runs his hands over his face and through his hair and sighs. “I guess we wait then.”

…

“Brother?”

“Hello, Gadreel.” Castiel stands up, the materials from the summoning ritual at his feet.

There are now five of them in the library, Gadreel standing a few feet in front of them. There is dirt on his face and hands, and his clothes are bloodstained, filthy, and torn. He looks around the room, instantly recognizing the bunker.

“Sam Winchester,” Gadreel greets when he sees Sam standing next to Castiel. “What am I doing-“ 

“Why’d you do it?!” Ms. Tran yells, walking between Sam and Castiel to confront Gadreel. “Why did you kill my son?!”

“Your son?”

Sam puts a hand on Linda’s shoulder, gently holding her back. “Ms. Tran-“

“No! Let go of me!” she shouts, shaking Sam’s hand off. She returns her focus back on the angel. “I want an explanation!”

“Me too.”

Gadreel’s expression of confusion quickly transforms to regret and grief once Linda’s son steps forward. 

“Kevin Tran.”

Kevin’s image flickers once, twice. He crosses his arms and sighs. “So you’re Gadreel…heard you were dead, too.”

“That’s correct,” Gadreel replies, his voice thick; guilt prevents him from making direct eye contact. 

Kevin scoffs. “So what, you get to spend eternity in Heaven now?”

“No. Not Heaven – Purgatory.” 

Sam and Castiel exchange an unsettling glance as Kevin briefly looks back at them for some sort of explanation, but Ms. Tran speaks before they can ask anything.  
“Why did you do it? Just please tell us why you did it….”

Gadreel’s expression softens even more as he watches Linda hold back tears.

“At the time I…I believed I had no other option. Metatron offered me a position as his second-in-command; he told me that I could be the one to help our brothers and sisters return home. What he was proposing was a way for me to prove myself – a way to redeem myself. Metatron lied to me and I believed him. By the time I realized that trusting him was a mistake…I had already caused too much damage.” 

Gadreel pauses and then looks Kevin straight in the eye.

“Kevin Tran…even if you cannot accept, please acknowledge my sincerest apologies. You did not deserve to die…and no matter how much penance I do, I will never forgive myself for taking your life. I was misguided and selfish and I regret that you paid for my shortcomings. I am sorry.” 

Kevin is quiet for a moment, turning over Gadreel’s apology in his head along with what Castiel had told them earlier.  
“I can’t forgive you,” he finally says. 

Gadreel remains silent, and just nods his head.

“But…I understand why, now.” Kevin holds out his hand. Gadreel stares at it briefly before reaching out to shake it, stunned. 

“I accept your apology, but that’s all I can do.”

“Thank you, Kevin,” Gadreel replies, unable to think of anything more to say – this was much more of a reconciliation than he could have ever hoped for.  
The two of them release hands and Linda addresses the angel again, taking a step forward. 

“You took away my son – the most important thing in my life. Apologies will not bring him back. And neither will my sympathy for you. So I cannot forgive you – and I cannot accept your apology.”

Gadreel nods again, not trusting his voice this time. 

“Please excuse me,” Ms. Tran says, almost inaudibly, before leaving the room. 

“Guys, I think we’re going to head back now,” Kevin announces as he watches his mom go. 

“Sure,” Sam says softly. “You want me to walk you guys out?” 

“Uh, I don’t think my mom…”

“That’s fine,” Sam says quickly. “We’ll see you soon, Kevin.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Sam – for everything.” He begins walking out, turning around briefly. “Cas…Gadreel.” 

Both angels nod in farewell and Kevin leaves. 

“I should be leaving as well,” Gadreel says, somewhat reluctantly. 

“Back to Purgatory?” Castiel asks.

“Yes.” 

Castiel shakes his head, clearly troubled, walks over to a table and leans against it. “Purgatory is a land of abominations – you don’t belong there, Gadreel.”

Gadreel turns to face his brother. “I do not deserve to be in Heaven, Castiel, nor anywhere else. At least in Purgatory I can serve some form of punishment for my actions!”  
Castiel looks away from his brother, thinking back to his own time in doing penance in Purgatory. 

“What did you mean when you said you ‘chose’ Purgatory?” Sam asks. “Angels choose where they go when they die?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Gadreel says. “Regardless, I do not regret my choice.” He takes a look around the bunker and sighs. “I should leave now.” 

Sam nods and walks over to Gadreel, stopping in front of him before holding out his hand. The angel reaches out, for a second time today, to take it. 

“Thank you,” Sam says, shaking his hand. “I know you’ve made a lot of mistakes, Gadreel, but you helped us when it mattered most…and you turned out to be one of the good guys. I forgive you.”

Gadreel doesn’t say anything, but Sam can see the stunned gratitude in his eyes. Sam smiles and lets go of his hand as Castiel walks over. The brothers exchange a brief one-armed hug and Castiel takes a step back. 

“Take care of yourself, Gadreel.”

“Thank you, Castiel. I will.” Gadreel takes a final look at his brother and friend before disappearing.


End file.
